St. John's University Athletics
St. John's to Host DePaul on Saturday
10/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Watch Live | | Game Notes (PDF)
QUEENS, N.Y. - After a hard fought 2-0 loss at Creighton on Sunday, the St. John's women's soccer team will look to get back in the win column against BIG EAST foe DePaul at Belson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
FREE KICKS
Against Creighton, the Johnnies dominated the pace of play and held an advantage in most offensive satistical categories. St. John's outshot the Bluejays, 14-6, and finished with a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. Additionally, the Johnnies won six corners to Creighton's two. Goalkeeper Diana Poulin allowed more than one goal in a game for just the third time this season. The senior also made two saves in the match.
Despite allowing two goals against Creighton, Poulin remains atop the BIG EAST in goals-against average, allowing just 0.47 goals per contest. Her .860 save percentage and nine shutouts also rank first in the league. Poulin's nine clean sheets tie a career high and rank second-most in a single season in program history. For her career, the Hauppauge, N.Y. native is just four shutouts away from the program record of 32 set by Kristin Russell. Earlier this week, Poulin was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Midseason Top-100 List, checking in at No. 60.
The Red Storm defense has been a driving force this season. The backline of Anna Maria Baldursdottir, Alexis Urbanski, Mikhaila Martinov and Jesse Schaefer has started every game for the Johnnies in 2016, holding opponents to just eight goals in 14 games, good enough for a BIG EAST leading GAA of 0.53. Sporting the nation's 12th-best team GAA, the Red Storm has shut out 64 percent of its opponents this season, good enough for a tie for eighth in the NCAA.
• With five draws on the season through 14 games, the Red Storm has matched a program record for the most ties in a season. In 2008, the Red Storm tied five of its opponents en route to an 8-6-5 finish and a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament. The following year, the Red Storm qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history after picking up three wins over ranked opponents.
SCOUTING DePAUL
DePaul enters Saturday's contest with an overall record of 8-4-2 and a 5-0-0 mark in BIG EAST play. The Blue Demons have won seven straight games, outscoring their opponents, 24-5, during the winning streak.
The Blue Demons have scored 36 goals, good enough for seventh in the country. As a whole, DePaul's 2.57 goals per game rank tied for ninth in the NCAA, while its 102 points rank tied for 11th and its 30 assists sit in a tie for 17th in Division I.
DePaul has been led by senior forward Abby Reed, who sits near the top of the BIG EAST in many offensive categories. Her 24 points rank second in the league, while her nine goals rank third among BIG EAST players.
• Junior midfielder Lucy Edwards was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, while sophomore forward Franny Cerny earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after the Blue Demons came away with a pair of shutout wins over Butler and Villanova last week.
ST. JOHN'S VS. DePAUL- THE SERIES
St. John's and DePaul have met five times in the history of the two programs, with St. John's holdling a 2-2-1 record all-time against the Blue Demons. St. John's is a perfect 2-0-0 in games played at Belson Stadium.
The Red Storm is 1-1-1 in the last three meetings between the schools. Each team defeated the other by a 3-0 score before last season, when the Johnnies and Blue Demons played to a 1-1 draw in double overtime.
